Del Mar Handicap draws varied cast

DEL MAR, Calif. – Among the nine entrants in Saturday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap there is a 7-year-old gelding with seven stakes wins since the start of 2017, a former star in Argentina, a rapidly improving 4-year-old, and a 5-year-old whose trainer proudly describes him as an overachiever.

Those four – Itsinthepost, The Great Day, United, and Marckie’s Water, respectively – each has an excellent chance in the $250,000 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf. So do Acclimate and Oscar Dominguez, who were first and second in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Handicap at about 1 3/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita in June.

Those runners, along with the longshots Arizona Moon and Blended Citizen, will be in pursuit of expected pacesetter Ritzy A. P., who was third in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes here July 21.

At stake is the winner’s share of $150,000 and a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Nov. 2 at Santa Anita.

The Great Day, who will have his third start in the United States, may go favored.

Trained by Arnaud Delacour for Lael Stables, The Great Day won two Group 1 races in Argentina in 2017 and 2018 and was third in the Grade 3 Arlington Handicap at 1 3/16 miles on turf at Arlington Park on July 13. Bandua, who won the Arlington Handicap, finished third in the Arlington Million last Saturday.

The Great Day has improved since he finished a troubled fifth in the Prince George’s County Stakes at Laurel in June, Delacour said.

“We didn’t really know him for the first race,” Delacour said. “He got boxed in. We changed a few things and the second race was much better. I think he moved forward.”

The distance of the Del Mar Handicap and the berth in the BC Turf were two reasons The Great Day was sent to California.

“I think it is a logical spot,” Delacour said. “The Arlington Million was a tough race.”

This will be the third year Itsinthepost has started in the Del Mar Handicap, having finished a troubled second in 2017 and seventh last year, which led to a layoff. Itsinthepost was second in the Grade 3 Cougar II Handicap on dirt here July 24.

Marckie’s Water won the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita in May for his first graded stakes win and was a fast-closing second in the 1 1/8-mile Eddie Read Stakes here July 21.

“It was a little short for him,” trainer Richard Baltas said.

A winner of 6 of 19 starts, the 5-year-old Marckie’s Water tries for his third stakes win Saturday.

“The horse has overachieved,” Baltas said. “He’s a Cal-bred. I’ve had him since he was 2.”

United was second by three-quarters of a length to Marckie’s Water in the Whittingham and has since won an optional claimer here July 17. The Del Mar Handicap will be United’s longest race.

“We’ve always thought this would be his thing,” trainer Richard Mandella said. “We’re full of optimism.”